Lighting fixtures, such as luminaires, can be suspended from a support, such as a ceiling, at a height that can be ten feet or more in the air from a ground surface. A lighting fixture is often connected to other lighting fixtures to form continuous rows. Typically, lighting fixtures are constructed of metal and are of moderate weight. While the lighting fixtures can have a relatively small cross-section, their length generally ranges from about 4-8 feet. These characteristics can make lighting fixtures difficult to handle.
Particularly, the conventional process of assembling and installing lighting fixtures can be challenging, and require installers to engage in complex, dangerous and cumbersome installation processes. This conventional assembly requires several installers to work in tandem. Such processes are not only time-consuming, but can be costly to consumers.
Other conventional lighting fixture assemblies require joining adjacent lighting fixtures in a linear fashion. For example, two lighting fixtures are joined by positioning the lighting fixtures parallel to one another and abutting the fixtures against one another (e.g., end-to-end). The lighting fixtures are joined using multiple pairs of fasteners (screws, nuts and bolts, and other similar retainer devices). For example, screws are provided on each side of the lighting fixture to form a joint by connecting end sections of each lighting fixture.
The joint of the adjacent light fixtures must be tight to provide a weight transfer through the joint. For elongated lighting fixtures with lengths from about 4-8 feet, for example, the act of mounting the fixtures at heights about 10 feet in the air is cumbersome. This mounting typically requires at least two installers and a significant time commitment to complete the assembly process.
Other conventional installation techniques include installing a first lighting fixture, securing a second lighting fixture at an initial free end of the first lighting fixture, and positioning the second lighting fixture toward the first lighting fixture where a joint is made. Although this alternative method can be completed with a single person, current lighting fixtures are not designed to accommodate this configuration.
An additional problem with the conventional installation techniques is the requirement to be mounted on a parallel or co-linear planes (e.g., abutting the lighting fixtures end-to-end). Without these co-linear planes, the fasteners cannot properly attach the lighting fixtures together.